blister

noun
blis·​ter | \ ˈbli-stər How to pronounce blister (audio) \
plural blisters

Definition of blister

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a fluid-filled elevation of the epidermis — compare water blister
2 : an enclosed raised spot (as in paint or the surface of baked dough) resembling a blister
3 : an agent (such as lewisite) that causes blistering
4 : a fungal disease of plants marked by raised patches on the leaves
5 : any of various structures that bulge out (such as a gunner's compartment on a bomber)

blister

verb
blistered; blistering\ ˈbli-​st(ə-​)riŋ How to pronounce blistering (audio) \

Definition of blister (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to become affected with a blister

transitive verb

1 : to raise a blister on
3 : to defeat (a competitor) decisively … Brodeur was blistered in the early rounds by lightly regarded teams … before backstopping New Jersey to the championship last season.— Kostya Kennedy
4 : to hit (a ball, shot, etc.) very powerfully … Soriano blistered a line drive toward left field.— Buster Olney

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Other Words from blister

Noun

blistery \ ˈbli-​st(ə-​)rē How to pronounce blistery (audio) \ adjective

Examples of blister in a Sentence

Noun

She developed a blister on her heel where her shoe rubbed against it.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Marlins: Hernandez was lifted after four innings and 68 pitches because of a blister on his right middle finger. Paul Newberry, sun-sentinel.com, "Freddie Freeman’s two homers, four RBIs carry Braves past Marlins," 21 Aug. 2019 Then a blister forced the 19-year-old pitching prospect out of Double-A Amarillo’s 4-3 loss at Tulsa. Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Minors: Javy Guerra promoted to Double-A ... as a pitcher," 21 Aug. 2019 Injinji Run Lightweight Crew Socks for $10 ($6 off): These Injinji toe socks are WIRED senior correspondent Peter Rubin's favorite running socks to avoid blisters on any run longer than ten miles. Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Our Favorite Picks from Backcountry's Semiannual Sale," 8 Aug. 2019 Odorizzi, who developed a blister this month in Oakland, is scheduled to start Saturday night’s game. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, "Twins’ Eddie Rosario not yet activated from IL," 12 July 2019 Then after some hours there was another blister on the other leg. Austin Meyer, National Geographic, "This carpenter builds crutches for kids. Now it’s his turn to walk.," 7 June 2019 The virus causes fever, sore throat and blisters on hands and feet and in the mouth. Douglas Belkin, WSJ, "Colleges Try to Stop Spread of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease," 19 Oct. 2018 Place the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet (or directly on grill grates); broil or grill, turning every couple of minutes, until the skin chars and blisters, 6 to 8 minutes total. Robin Mather, chicagotribune.com, "Middle Eastern dips and spreads to bump hummus off your summer menu," 26 July 2019 When their trunks aren’t protected by paper tree wrap for their first two years out in the open, pistachios (like red oaks and maples) often blister and crack. Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "Getting rid of trumpet vine may require bribery," 19 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Last spring, the home still sat abandoned in a thicket of trees, its wooden stairwell rotting, its blue and green paint blistered. Azam Ahmed, New York Times, "One Handgun, 9 Murders: How American Firearms Cause Carnage Abroad," 25 Aug. 2019 Go for the small-plate antipasti, housemade pastas and blistered pizzas. Jessica Yadegaran, The Mercury News, "5 best San Francisco restaurants near the big theaters," 22 Aug. 2019 That’s how quickly a pizza cooks to blistered, crackly perfection in a 900-degree pizza oven. Samantha Weiss-hills, House Beautiful, "How to Choose the Perfect Pizza Oven for Your Home," 31 July 2019 But first Langford’s Waco Brothers, a veteran Chicago act, had a catalog of tunes to blister through, all jangly guitars and four-part vocal harmonies bellowed as if trying to be heard over the din of a pub. Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "FitzGerald’s American Music Fest still going strong," 3 July 2019 The tortilla lands on the dome with Olympic-level precision; the dough puffs up and starts to blister. Patricia Escárcega, latimes.com, "Exploring Hermosillo, northern Mexico’s great unsung food city," 26 June 2019 After a couple of minutes, when tomatoes start to blister, stir in bell peppers, onion and garlic. Ann Maloney, NOLA.com, "Alon Shaya's Shakshouka recipe," 7 Mar. 2018 After a day of blistering criticism from Republicans, Twitter has reversed an earlier decision and restored the campaign account of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Twitter backs down, allows McConnell to post video of protestor threats," 9 Aug. 2019 Pemphigus vulgaris in particular causes blistering that usually starts at the mouth and can then move to the skin and genitals. Maggie O'neill, Health.com, "What to Know About Pemphigus Vulgaris, a Rare Disorder That Caused A Woman's Vulva To Swell and Blister," 29 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blister.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of blister

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

History and Etymology for blister

Noun

Middle English blister, blester, probably from Old English *blȳster, *blǣster; akin to Old Norse blāstr swelling, Old English blǣst blast

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More Definitions for blister

blister

noun

English Language Learners Definition of blister

: a raised area on the skin that contains clear liquid and that is caused by injury to the skin
: a raised area on a surface (such as a painted wall) that is filled with air

blister

noun
blis·​ter | \ ˈbli-stər How to pronounce blister (audio) \

Kids Definition of blister

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a small raised area of the skin filled with a watery liquid
2 : a swelling (as in paint) that looks like a blister of the skin

blister

verb
blistered; blistering

Kids Definition of blister (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to develop a blister or blisters My heel blistered on the hike.
2 : to cause blisters on Tight shoes can blister your feet.